Wire spring fabric



Jan. 2, 1934.

C. J. ELDER WIRE SPRING FABRIC Filed May 2, 1933 AWE/WW? BY WM ATTORNEY69/427155 ffl 0.5/1

Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The present inventionhas relation to wire spring fabrics preferably of the type includingupstanding spring coils spirally formed to provide the cushioningsprings of a bed bottom or the like,

such as upholstered seats, and wherein the uppermost coils are connectedtogether by helical springs'which are preferably arranged in pairs, thehelical of each pair crossing the other helical, all in well knownmanner. Difliculty is frequently encountered in properly assembling suchhelicals with the cushioning coil springs for connecting the coilsprings together resiliently.

An object of the present invention is to provide a helical spring foruse in such bed bottom structures or the like, which helical spring ispreferably and usually under this invention provided at each end withmeans for conveniently engaging them over the top coils of the springcushioning coils, and for frictionally locking them on such 20 top coilswithout the necessity of using pliers for bending or clinching the endsof the helicals and without using separate ties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a helical springwhich is practical and at the same time simple, and which can beeconomically manufactured.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described in detail and then pointed out in theclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating apreferred form of the invention and wherein Fig. 1 is a plan which showsa number of spiral spring cushioning coils connected together by theimproved helicals;

Fig. 2 shows enlarged the details of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of the terminal portion of the helicalrespectively in the direction of the arrow a and arrow b, Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a portion of a spring cushioning coilengaged in locking position by the improved helical spring which isshown in end elevation;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the improved helical in position forsnapping the end thereof upon a spring cushioning coil; and

Fig. 7 is a view showing the parts about to be united, as shown in Fig.6, the view being taken from the left of Fig. 6, and the top coil of thespiral spring being therefore shown in normal horizontal position. I

In Figs. 1 and 2 two crossed helical springs 10, 11 are shown, theterminal portion 12 of each end of the body of each helical beingengaged in looking position with the top coils of the cushioningspirally coiled springs. As will appear herefrom the terminalportion 12of each helical 10,

11 is specially formed so as to facilitate its engagement with a coil ofthe cushioning spring.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive, the terminal portion 12 of thehelical extends away from the end convolution thereof, and is curved outand extends for a portion of its length substantially diametricallyacross such end convolution as viewed axially of the end of the helicalto form a curved part 13 which spans substantially such end convolutionand lies in a plane substantially inclined to the longitudinal axis ofthe helical as is clear from Fig. 3. The terminal portion 12 is bentback on itself at 14, at the outer end of the outwardly curved part 13,the bend 14 being preferably located at a considerable distance from theadjacent end convolution of the helical. The point of mergence of thecurved part' 13 with the 76 adjacent end convolution of the helical isin the form 'of a curved elbow 15.

Beyond the bend at 14 the terminal portion 12 is formed with a longhook-shaped part 16, which, with the bend at 14, lies in a plane "which80 is relatively inclined to the longitudinal axis of the helical. Thebend at 1.4 and the hook-shaped part 16 are formed so as not to projectaway from the substantially cylindrical outer surface of the helical;that is to say when the helical is viewed towards one end thereof thehook-shaped part appears to and does lie substantially concentrio withthe convolutions, of the helical, the hookshaped part curving so for adistance approximating one-thirdof the circumference of the helical.

The elements 13 and 16 of the terminal portion. of the helical arecurved and are joined by curves and not by abrupt angles. The tip 17 ofthe terminal portion 12 is slightly deflected directly away from theadjacent end convolution of the helical, as more clearly shown in Fig.4, Of course the helical is formed of spring metal such as steel wire,for example, and as the least space between the hook-shaped part 16 andthe adjacent end convolution of the helical is preferably slightly lessthan the diameter of the coil 18 of the spring coil to which'the helicalis adapted to be secured, the initial step in applying the helical tosuch coil 18 is to snap the end portion of with the transverse gapbetween the tip 17 and the end convolution of the helical inregistration with wire 18. When such registration has been obtained, theoperator or manipulator presses 5 the end coils of the helical and theterminal portion 12 with sufficient force towards the wire 18 as tocause the adjacent end convolution of the helical and the hook-shapedpart 16 to be snapped over the wire 18, thereby positioning the terminal1 .17 to the opposite side of the wire 18. By a manipulatory slighttwist of the terminal portion 12, the parts'thereof are brought into theposition shown in Fig. 5. From Fig. and also Figs. 1 and 2 it will beseen that the out-curved part 13 extends diagonally its full lengthacross wire 18, with the bend 14 resting against the wire 18 and withthe hook-shaped part curving towards the observer from a point back ofthe wire 18, and with the terminal 17 located at the lower 20 part ofthe assembly. An inspection of Figs. 1, 2

and 5 clearly discloses that the terminal portion 12 of the helicaltherefore hugs the wire 18 and bears frictionally along it, and aroundit for a distance approximating considerably more than one-half of thecircumference of the wire 18, the out-curved part 13 extending at aconsiderable inclination from the bend 15 to the bend 14.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various advantagesare achieved by the described and illustrated improvements, andparticularly it will be obvious that without the use of pliers or toolsa workman may readily properly engage the improved helical with thespring coils of a bed bottom, for example, and that without the use ofseparate ties and tools a firm anchorage of the end of the helical to aspring coil is obtained, as'the parts are locked together againstaccidental shifting of the helical with respect to the length of thecoil to which it is 40 attached, and that noise and squeakiness of theparts is eliminated.

What I claim as new and of my invention is: 1. A spring helicalconnecting member having a terminal portion outwardly from the adjacentend convolution of the helical and curved out for a part of its lengthaway from such end convolution of the helical so as to extendsubstantially diametrically across such end convolution, the terminalportion also including a hook-shaped part curved in a plane inclinedacross the longitudinal axis of the helical, and the curve thereofextending in such plane substantially concentricwith such endconvolution for a substantial distance.

2. A spring helical connecting member having a terminal portionoutwardly from the adjacent end convolution of the helical andcurved'out for a part of its length away from such end convolution ofthe helical so as to extend substan- 0 tially diametrically across suchend convolution,

the curved out portion being inclined relatively to the axis of thehelical, and the terminal portion also including a hook-shaped partcurved substantially concentrically with such end con- 5 volution for asubstantial distance. Y

3. The combination with the spiral cushioning coils of a structure, suchas a bed bottom,

of a spring helical connecting member having at an end thereof aterminal portion outwardly from the adjacent end convolution of thehelical and curved out for a part of its length away from such endconvolution sufliciently to substantially span it and to extend in aplane substantially diametrically across such convolution, such curvedout'part bearing snugly upon one side of the wire of a spiral cushioningcoil in a direction inclined to the length of the wire and the terminalportion also including a curved hookshaped part bearing upon theopposite side of the wire also at an inclination, whereby the terminalportion is anchored to the wire to secure the terminal portion againstmovement along the wire.

4. The combination with the spiral cushioning coils of a structure,.such as a bed bottom, of

a spring helical connecting member having at each end thereof a terminalportion outwardly from the adjacent end convolutions of the helical andcurved out for a part of its length away from the adjoining endconvolution so as to extend substantially diametrically across suchconvolution, each such curved out part bearing snug 1y upon one side ofthe wire of a spiral cushioning coil in a direction inclined to thelength of the wire and each terminal portion also including a curvedhook-shaped part bearing upon the opposite side of the wire, also at aninclination, the hooked shaped parts being oppositely disposed wherebythe terminal portions are anchored to the wire to secure the terminalportions against movement along the wire, each hookshaped part beingcurved for that purpose substantially concentrically with such endconvolution of the helical.

5. A spring helical connecting member having a terminal portionoutwardly from the adjacent end convolution of the helical and curvedout for a part of its length away from such end convolution of thehelical so as to extend across such end convolution, the curved outportion being inclined relatively to the axis of the helical, and theterminal portion also including a hook-shaped part curved substantiallyconcentrically with such end convolution for a substantial distance.

6. The combination with the spiral cushioning coils of a structure, suchas a bed bottom, of a spring helical connecting member having at eachend thereof a terminal portion outwardly from the adjacent endconvolutions of the helical and curved out for a part of its length awayfrom the adjoining end convolution so as'to extend substantiallydiametrically across such convolution, each such curved out part bearingsnugly upon one side of the wire of a spiral cushioning coil in adirection inclined to the length of the wire and each terminal portionalso including a curved hook-shaped part bearing upon the opposite sideof the wire, also at an inclination. the hooked shaped parts beingoppositely disposed, whereby the terminal portions are anchored to thewire to secure the terminalportions against 'movement along the wire.

. CHARLES J. ELDER.

